Drug and Alcohol Use - A Significant Risk Factor for HIV

A third of the 1.2 million Americans with HIV currently use drugs or binge on alcohol. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the sharing of contaminated injection equipment that primarily links drug use to the HIV epidemic. Rather, drug as well as alcohol use can impair judgment and lead to risky sexual behavior and HIV transmission. This is why substance abuse treatment can play an important role in preventing the spread of HIV

Top figure: 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, From 2005 to 2009, 1 in 3 persons with HIV was a current drug user or binged on alcohol.